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The Globo group and the Marinho brothers who control it has made its stance clear on the proposed political reform and the private financing of political campaigns: It is radically against them. The position was made explicit in a cover story in this week’s Época; the argument is that corruption can be combated by empowering agencies like the federal police, the Public Ministry (prosecutor’s office) and others which, as a matter of fact, are already empowered. Globo pretends that the root of continuing corruption scandals is private and public political donations, as demonstrated by the Petrobras case, the São Paulo subway, and many others.

In the course of a year in which Supreme Court justice Gilmar Mendes, in effect, tabled discussion of and action on the end of corporate campaign contributions, Globo and the Marinho brothers defined their own position. They back Mendes but also oppose the end of private political donations.

The position was explicitly state on the cover of Época this week, with the banner headline “Combating corruption … not with political reform!”

To the brothers Marinho, corruption should be combated by empowering such agencies as the Federal Police and Public Ministry, as well as the federal Comptroller-General a corrupção (CGU) — agencies that were in fact empowered over the last few years.

With its editorial position, Globo feigns ignorance of the fact that all the recent national scandals, such as the Petrobras case and the São Paulo commuter train cartels, not to mention Furnas, which was never investigated, stem from private political donations. Always a matter of corporate donations, but invariable tied to favors or official advantage.

In an interview with Brasil 247 magazine, Minister Miguel Rossetto of the Secretariat-General of the Presidency, explained why putting an end to private and corporate financing of elections, supported by such civil society groups as the nation bar association (OAB), the Council of Bishops (CNBB), student groups (UNE) and the labor federation CUT, is the at the heart of political reform.

“The numbers are shocking. The last election cost R$ 5 billion, and a single corporation donated R$ 360 million. What is happening is a distancing of political represesentation from society. Popular movements no long participate in political activity. Successful candidates are those who spend most, or better, with access to financial resources. This is not healthy for a democracy. On one hand, Brazilian society is developing into a horizontal democracy, with more popular participation in all sectors, including the social media. On the other hand, there is a strangling effect on the mechanisms of representative democracia. The structure of representation is suffocating popular participation,” he said.

The Globo group and the Marinho brothers who control it has made its stance clear on the proposed political reform and the private financing of political campaigns: It is radically against them. The position was made explicit in a cover story in this week’s Época; the argument is that corruption can be combated by empowering agencies like the federal police, the Public Ministry (prosecutor’s office) and others which, as a matter of fact, are already empowered. Globo pretends that the root of continuing corruption scandals is private and public political donations, as demonstrated by the Petrobras case, the São Paulo subway, and many others.

In the course of a year in which Supreme Court justice Gilmar Mendes, in effect, tabled discussion of and action on the end of corporate campaign contributions, Globo and the Marinho brothers defined their own position. They back Mendes but also oppose the end of private political donations.

The position was explicitly state on the cover of Época this week, with the banner headline “Combating corruption … not with political reform!”

To the brothers Marinho, corruption should be combated by empowering such agencies as the Federal Police and Public Ministry, as well as the federal Comptroller-General a corrupção (CGU) — agencies that were in fact empowered over the last few years.

With its editorial position, Globo feigns ignorance of the fact that all the recent national scandals, such as the Petrobras case and the São Paulo commuter train cartels, not to mention Furnas, which was never investigated, stem from private political donations. Always a matter of corporate donations, but invariable tied to favors or official advantage.

In an interview with Brasil 247 magazine, Minister Miguel Rossetto of the Secretariat-General of the Presidency, explained why putting an end to private and corporate financing of elections, supported by such civil society groups as the nation bar association (OAB), the Council of Bishops (CNBB), student groups (UNE) and the labor federation CUT, is the at the heart of political reform.

“The numbers are shocking. The last election cost R$ 5 billion, and a single corporation donated R$ 360 million. What is happening is a distancing of political represesentation from society. Popular movements no long participate in political activity. Successful candidates are those who spend most, or better, with access to financial resources. This is not healthy for a democracy. On one hand, Brazilian society is developing into a horizontal democracy, with more popular participation in all sectors, including the social media. On the other hand, there is a strangling effect on the mechanisms of representative democracy. The structure of representation is suffocating popular participation,” he said.